Unseeded Harmony Tan overcame her fear of a Wimbledon nightmare, beating seven-time champion Serena Williams in their first meeting to turn Center Court into her own personal dreamland.
The 24-year-old French debutant defeated the 23-time Grand Slam champion in three sets on Tuesday to secure her first career win on grass and advance to the second round at the expense of the former world number 1.
Although Williams’ first singles match in a year ended in defeat, she still managed to get the Center Court crowd to their feet as they saluted a champion’s feat in a match that lasted more than three hours.
Williams lost 7-5 1-6 7-6 (10-7) to Harmony Tan, but not before the 40-year-old American captivated the crowd and even saved a match point before falling into the tiebreak.
“It’s a dream because you know, I saw Serena on TV when I was young,” Tan said after the game.
“My coach, Nathalie Tauziat, played against her 20 years ago. So yes, it’s a big generation. She’s a legend. I mean, she won 23 grand slams. When you played against her, I was scared. I mean, I was scared when I was on the pitch, but I’m really happy to be there.”
Tauziat, who also coaches 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, has her own history at Wimbledon, finishing second to Jana Novotna in 1998 when Tan was less than a year old.
“She just told me to enjoy it because it’s your first time at Wimbledon,” Tan said of the advice Tauziat had given her before the match.
“You play against Serena on Center Court. And yes, just enjoy the game.”
Tan, 115th in the world rankings, did much more than that, winning the first set 7-5 against Williams before the American rushed back to take second, dropping a solitary game in the process.
As the 11pm curfew at Wimbledon loomed, the pair battled to a tiebreak in the third set, which Tan eventually won when a tired Williams gave up an early lead only to crash after more than three hours of play.
The Frenchwoman, who has never made it past the second round of a Grand Slam, could not describe how she managed to turn the match in her favor.
“I don’t know why I play every ball like this, do some paste, some change, some variety in the game,” she said. “And it works today.”
rusty champion
Of course, no one lasts forever, not even Williams, who has performed countless near miracles over a career spanning three decades.
Still, it was uncomfortable to see the rusty champ a faded shadow of the player who has won so many Grand Slam singles crowns.
Since I’d long made a habit of looking lesser mortals while cruising at barely half-speed, there seemed to be nothing to dig into, no extra gear, nor any aura to lend an advantage on Tuesday.
Instead, she brandished blunt tools and fell to defeat in three sets before contemplating her future.
“That’s a question I can’t answer,” the 40-year-old said when asked if she would return to Wimbledon. “Like, I don’t know. I have a feeling, you know, I don’t know. Who knows? Who knows where I’ll turn up.
“Today I gave everything I could do… Maybe tomorrow I could have given more. Maybe a week ago I could have given more. But today was what I could do. At some point you have to be okay with that. “
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Nadal through, Swiatek extends streak
Day two started sour as last year’s runner-up Matteo Berrettini was placed eighth, becoming the second top player to withdraw with Covid-19 following the withdrawal of Marin Cilic.
An already exhausted man’s lot only got worse as Canadian sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was knocked out in the first round by Maxime Cressy, who fought back from a set-down to win 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6 (9 ) 7-6 (5) in more than four hours.
Rafa Nadal’s entry was in doubt earlier this month due to a foot injury, but aside from a third set wobbling, he made it through his first game on grass in three years, beating Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-Four .
Nick Kyrgios set off fireworks in a five-set win over Briton Paul Jubb in a match that was marred by altercations with a linesman, the chair umpire and a heckler, with the Australian admitting he spat at the fan who chased him out .
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek won her 36th consecutive match to record the longest streak of victories in the women’s game in the 21st century when she defeated Croatian Jana Fett 6-0 6-3.
Former No. 1 Simona Halep, who made her first appearance in the All England Club since winning the title in 2019, defeated Karolina Muchova 6-3 6-2, while Coco Gauff overcame a flop in the first set and Elena-Gabriela Ruse defeated 2-6 6 -3 7-5.
Petra Kvitova, another former Wimbledon champion, also had to work in her first round, beating Jasmine Paolini 2-6 6-4 6-2.